This
by Phoenixhallow89
Summary: Something strange happened to Hermione Granger during the final battle of Hogwarts. She had managed to save Fred Weasley from an almost terrible fate… but she didn't exactly know how. Fremoine! AU where Fred doesn't die. Bond Fic. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Is the Beginning

**Summary:** Something strange happened to Hermione Granger during the final battle of Hogwarts. She had managed to save Fred Weasley from an almost terrible fate… but she didn't exactly know how. After the battle, a strange mark appeared on her skin just over her heart and she has no idea what it means. She avoids Fred for the next few months, trying out a relationship with Ron before heading back to Hogwarts to finish her 7th year. Yet it's getting harder and harder for her to ignore the pull that she feels towards Fred, especially when the twins open up a new Weasley's Wizard Wheezes in Hogsmade and Fred is managing it. What is the strange mark that showed up on her skin and will she figure it out before it's too late? The Death Eaters that managed to escape are banding together to get their revenge and to plunge the Wizarding World into the darkness that Voldemort craved.

**Author's Note:** This is obviously a Fremoine fic (my first one) and it's AU where Fred is still alive. He was always my favorite twin and I was absolutely devastated when JK Rowling killed him off! Anyways, this is also a bonding fic… but I'm hoping that it's a little different than most of the ones that I've read. I was tempted to make this a Triad fic with George, Fred, and Hermione, but I think I'm just going to stick with Fred and Hermione. I always liked the pairing of George and Angelina. Okay, so onto the Prologue! I might give some flashbacks of the time between the final battle and when Hermione starts her 7th year, but the first chapter will probably go straight into Hermione being at Hogwarts… unless my lovely readers would rather have more of the in between… let me know when you review!

**Disclaimer:** I do not, and never shall, own Harry Potter. This wonderful series belongs to the talents of JK Rowling!

**This  
****Is the Beginning**

_November 1989; Hogwarts; Gryffindor; Boys' First Year Dormitory._

Bursting through the door of his dormitory, Fred Weasley hurried over to his bed to lay down the book he had found in the library. He figured that this was something that probably should have been in the restricted section, but he had nicked it from a seventh year Ravenclaw who had been writing an essay. The pages were yellow and dusty, the leather cover wrinkled with age. He had been drawn to it somehow and couldn't shake the feeling that he needed to find something in it. He set the heavy volume down on his bed and his fingers prickled with anticipation.

"What'd you find, Freddie?"

"A book about magic and soul bonds," Fred replied to his twin brother, George.

George looked over Fred's shoulder at the old book and scoffed. Fred had always been the more sensitive twin. He had always known that he wanted to find the love of his life and get married. He was only eleven but he never shied away from girls like most boys his age. George didn't care much for any of that kind of stuff. He would much rather be pranking girls than trying to get one to kiss him. He would never tell his twin that he thought his obsession over finding his true love was ridiculous, though. George would do whatever it took to protect Fred from getting hurt, even if that meant reassuring him that he would one day find true love.

"What are you going to do with it?" George asked.

"See if there is a spell in here that will help me find my soul mate," Fred said excitedly, his eyes shining.

George furrowed his eyebrows, "Well be careful."

Fred only nodded his head and opened the book, his eyes scanning a page before finding the next one. George left his brother to his reading and went down to the common room. The book was incredibly interesting. There were so many different types of bonds that Fred had never even been aware of. There were blood bonds, magic bonds, soul bonds, protection bonds, sibling bonds, bonds between parents and their children… there was a bond for almost any type of relationship that you could think of and then some. Fred had been reading for hours before he found a bond that caught his eye. It had the characteristics of a both a soul bond and a magic bond. A soul bond was specifically for a marriage. It was rarely used anymore, but it bound the souls of the people involved. Meaning they could feel each other's emotions and even communicate telepathically once the bond was fully formed. It also meant that if one of the bonded died, the other(s) would follow soon after. Magic bonds were much more powerful. You didn't have to be in any sort of physical relationship to have a magic bond. With this type of bond, you could draw on the magic of the person that you were bonded to, making them much more powerful. Only some people were able to have this type of bond, though. Sometimes the souls may be meant for each other, but the magic clashed and vice versa. This bond was known as a True Bond. It was one of the most powerful bonds and only grew with the more people that were involved in the bond. Although, it had been known as a Battle Bond during dark times throughout wizarding history since the magic of the bonded was so much more powerful.

"Whoa…"

Fred had stopped reading after that. He wondered if he was lucky enough to have a True Bond with someone. He eagerly skipped ahead to the portion with the spell. He slipped his wand out of his robe pockets and cleared his throat, reciting the spell slowly to make sure he pronounced all of the words right. For a few seconds after he was finished, nothing happened. His hopes deflated a little bit until a pulse of energy seemed to gather in his chest before it poured out of him. He probably would have panicked if he hadn't been so fascinated. The energy condensed into a ball of clear light, with a spot of deep turquoise in the center. He reached out to touch it, but it pulsed again, sending a stabbing pain into his chest before disappearing completely. He was in agony. Little needles of pain traveled through his skin and centered just above his heart. The pain slowly faded, until it was only a dull ache. He didn't know if it had worked, but he suddenly felt bereft and confused. He glared at the book before pushing it off of his bed. With a flick of his wand, it had shrunk down to the size of a sickle and was stashed away in his trunk, fated to be forgotten.

_2__nd__ May 1998; Hogwarts; The Final Battle._

Hermione Granger was absolutely elated. She had just watched Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem shatter to pieces in Harry's hand. That meant that the only horcrux that was left was Nagini, Voldemort's snake. She had also kissed Ron. It had been wonderful and yet it had felt wrong. She couldn't explain it. She had wanted to kiss Ron for years now and when it finally happened… well it wasn't everything she had hoped for. It didn't stop the giddy feeling rising in her chest, though. They were one step closer to defeating Voldemort for good. One step closer to the peace that they all craved. She was telling Harry as much when they heard the unmistakable sounds of dueling. Fred and Percy backed into view, firing off spells against some Death Eaters. Without hesitation, Hermione flew forward with Ron and Harry following behind her. Jets of colored light were fired in every direction and Hermione was sure that Percy had just said some sort of joke before an explosion rent the walls around them.

For a split second, everything was calm and then the air was ripped from her lungs and she was thrown through the air. She felt a tug deep in her chest before she felt a piercing pain… like something was trying to claw its way out of her chest. The pain lessened when a turquoise light spilled out of her and everything slowed down. Dust seemed to freeze in the air and Hermione tried to follow the light, but the dust was too thick. She heard someone cry out and then time caught up with itself and she landed heavily on the ground, coughing and trembling. She felt weak, too weak. Her hearing seemed muffled and she knew someone was yelling, felt a hand on her elbow and saw Harry. He helped her stand and they walked over to the three Weasleys. Two of them were kneeling; one was lying on the ground. As they got closer, Hermione realized it was Fred on the ground and felt a sudden stab of fear course through her. She struggled out of Harry's grip but relaxed when Fred started coughing.

"Give a man some room, Perce!" Fred gasped out.

"Merlin, Fred! We thought that explosion killed you!" Ron said, his voice shaking.

Fred grinned slightly, "It'll take a lot more than that to get rid of me!"

"You should get down to the Great Hall," Percy said sternly, "Have Madam Pomfrey look at you."

"I'll take him," Hermione said, furrowing her eyebrows, "I think that explosion took a lot out of me. I don't think I could even manage a lumos. It's like my magic was drained."

Harry was about to reply but didn't get the chance to. A body dropped down from the hole in the wall and started blasting spells in their direction. Ron and Harry immediately started throwing spells back while Percy hauled Fred to his feet. Fred seemed much stronger than Hermione and he wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her steady. A feeling on contentment spread through her and she leaned into his embrace. Fred and Hermione took off in the opposite direction, away from their friends dueling Death Eaters and spiders. They quickly found their way into the Great Hall and Fred set Hermione down gently on one of the benches. Hermione's chest ached and for some reason she felt bereft without Fred's arm around her. He cupped her face in his hands and his eyes softened.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to go fetch Madame Pomfrey," he said gently.

Hermione could only nod and watch as Fred took off towards the aging medi-witch. She rubbed the spot on her chest, just above her heart and it seemed to sooth the ache. It wasn't long before Fred came back, Madame Pomfrey in tow. She took in Hermione's haphazard appearance and began waving her wand, muttering to herself. Hermione felt strength return to her limbs and she could feel her magic swirling inside of her. The ache in her chest didn't lessen until Fred sat down next to her and she could feel the skin of his arm against hers.

"Feel better?" Fred asked.

"Much," Hermione replied.

She wanted to tell him about the light that came out of her. She assumed it was her magic but she didn't know what could cause something like that and it made her nervous. For those few brief moments, her magic had left her and she wondered if that's what it felt like to be a muggle. She had always known she was different and didn't like the hollow feeling she had without her magic. She unconsciously moved closer to Fred and he wrapped an arm around her. She let herself be comforted by him for a little while before standing.

"I have to go find Harry and Ron."

"Go on then," Fred frowned, "But be careful."

"I will."

Fred watched Hermione go with a heavy heart, rubbing the mark that rested just above his heart. It was faint, but it had been there ever since he performed that spell to see if he had a True Bond with anyone. It had flared in the explosion and that same turquoise light from his first year had come back, but it had come from somewhere else. It didn't come from his own magic; it seemed to be protecting him from the blast. He just didn't know where it had come from. He ignored the dull ache, like he had been for the last nine years and went to see where he could help. Time seemed to drag, but before Fred knew it, everyone was silent as Voldemort's voice rang through the school that Harry was dead. That was impossible, though! His heart stopped in his chest as he thought of Hermione, but he had seen her with Ron not moments before. There was a rush as everyone left the confines of the school. Harry was in Hagrid's arms, limp and pale. McGonagall cried out in anguish, followed by the voices of many others. Fred could barely hear anything else. His eyes were focused on Harry. There was no way that Harry was dead. He refused to believe any of it. He was brought out of his thoughts when the giants crashed through the grounds and chaos reigned. He watched Neville cut off the head of Voldemort's snake and then everyone was pushing back into the school. He searched desperately for Hermione and saw her up ahead to his left, being pulled into the school by Ron.

"HARRY? WHERE'S HARRY?"

Fred heard Hagrid's voice over everyone else's and a tiny spark of hope flared within him. Another battle ensued in the Great Hall and Harry soon revealed himself. There was a joyful uproar in the Hall as Harry and Voldemort circled each other. The rest of the battle seemed to come to a halt as everyone waited with baited breath to see who the victor would be. They each cast their spell and met in the middle with a resonating crash. Fred watched as Voldemort's wand flew high up into the air while Harry reached out to grab it. He held both wands in his hands as Voldemort fell over backwards, dead. Everything was silent for a moment before a deafening roar could be heard throughout the hall. Everyone raced towards Harry, ignoring the Death Eaters that fled from the hall. It was the day they had been waiting for… Voldemort was finally defeated.

The day then passed very quickly. Collecting the dead and the wounded was the primary task. The Great Hall and the Entrance Hall were used to take count of the dead and to heal the wounded. The Death Eaters were kept separate, the dead stayed outside and the wounded and captured went straight to the dungeons. To say it was an exhausting day would be an understatement. Hermione was tired and dirty and she wanted nothing more than a hot shower and a warm bed. Thankfully, most of the dormitories remained untouched so she was able to get just that. She stayed in the Gryffindor tower with Ginny, Luna and a few other Gryffindor's that had stayed behind to fight. She had just finished showering and was changing into her night clothes when Ginny grabbed her arm.

"Hermione, what is that?" Ginny asked, nodding to her chest.

"What's what?"

"That," Ginny said, turning Hermione to face the mirror.

Hermione gaped at the mark on her chest. It was the same turquoise color as the magic that spilled out of her and she had no idea where it came from. The tip of the design dipped between her breasts and then followed their curve on either side before connecting in a straight line just above the swell of her breasts. Swirling patterns decorated the lines and the Celtic symbol for water sat in the middle of the triangle. She traced the mark with the tip of her finger and felt the mark get warm in response. Did this have something to do with her magic leaving her during that explosion? Her mind raced with possibilities but she knew she wouldn't find any answers tonight.

"I have no idea," Hermione said, "I've never seen it before."

"Well we should make sure it stays hidden until we find out what it means," Ginny replied, climbing into bed.

Hermione nodded in agreement before pulling on a shirt and hiding the mark from her view. They would have plenty of time to research it in the morning, but for now, Hermione was extremely tired and once she got into bed she knew that nothing would be able to keep her awake.

_{ phoenix }_

**Author's Note:** So this is just the prologue. There will be more answers as Hermione finds out more about the mark… anyways leave me a review and let me know what you think! Sorry if it seemed a little rushed, I didn't want to go into too much detail since everyone hopefully already knew what happened during the final battle… and it is the final battle from the book and not the movie.


	2. Is not what I expected

**Author's Note:** Thank you to everyone who has followed this story or has added it to your favorites! I really appreciate it! I would love some more reviews with your thoughts on the story, though! It will help motivate me to write faster! Anyway, I decided not to go straight into Hogwarts… I do want to show a little bit of what happened over the summer with Fred and Hermione!

**Disclaimer:** Sadly, I do not own Harry Potter.

**This  
****Is not what I expected**

_July 1998; The Burrow._

The War had been over for a grand total of two months. While Voldemort had been defeated, the Ministry was having trouble rounding up the remaining Death Eaters. Most of them had formed their own pro-pureblood gangs and were wreaking havoc across England. Where Voldemort was calculated and strategic, these attacks were anything but. It seemed as though they were attacking people for no other reason than they could. Kingsley was now Minister of Magic and had personally asked Harry, Ron and Hermione to join the Ministry and to train as Aurors. Harry and Ron had jumped at the chance, but Hermione had informed Kingsley that she wanted to finish her last year of Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall had offered all of the 7th years a chance to return to Hogwarts to finish their last year the right way. To say that Hermione was excited was an understatement. While she was more than happy to return and finish her schooling, she also wanted a chance to get into the Library and figure out what this damn tattoo on her chest meant! She and Ginny had been no closer to finding out what it meant than they had been the day it showed up. They were currently sitting in Ginny's room, pouring over books Hermione had found about Celtic tattoos.

"Oh, Mione! This is pointless! We haven't found anything!" Ginny moaned, falling backwards onto her bed.

"There has to be _something_," Hermione replied desperately.

Ginny had been incredibly moody for the last week since Harry and Ron had left to start their Auror training. Hermione didn't mind much. Before they left, Ron and Hermione had mutually decided that the spark between them had solely been the creation of the battlefield. It was quite the weight off of Hermione's shoulders since she couldn't stop thinking about Fred. She had been studiously avoiding him ever since they had come back to the Burrow a few days after Voldemort's defeat. It was a difficult task since she felt like something was pulling her towards him. She had always had a slight crush on him, but this was rather ridiculous. It was like a switch had flipped on and it took all of her strength to stay away from him.

"It's been two months! We should just wait until we get back to Hogwarts," Ginny said, sitting back up to look at her best friend, "Or we should at least take a break."

At the mention of a break, Hermione's stomach growled and she blushed furiously while Ginny laughed. "I am hungry," she said sheepishly.

"It is lunch time! I bet mum has something wonderful cooking downstairs!"

Hermione laughed at Ginny's enthusiasm, "You go ahead, I'll meet you down there."

Ginny winked at Hermione before taking off down the stairs. There were a few more paragraphs on the page she had been reading and she was determined to finish them. There might be something useful in those paragraphs! She had finished reading them, and a few more pages, before closing the book with a heavy sigh. She didn't know the first place to look for information on this tattoo and it was incredibly frustrating. She blew a stray strand of her unruly hair from her face and then stood up, stretching her arms above her head. She made her way out of Ginny's room, shut the door behind her and went to turn to walk down the stairs, when she ran into something quite solid. She let out a squeak of surprise and felt herself falling backwards, only to be caught by a pair of strong arms. She quickly looked up and immediately regretted it. She was currently staring into the sea blue eyes of the very person she had been avoiding.

Fred grinned at her, "You know, Granger, if you wanted to get close to me, all you had to do was ask."

Heat rose to Hermione's cheeks and she sputtered uselessly for a response. Fred had pulled her up so she was standing, but hadn't let go of her. Therefore, she was pressed against his chest with his arms wound around her waist. It was all very distracting. She could only stare at him, her heart pounding in her chest and her breathing rapid. His scent invaded her senses and made her head swim. He smelled like a thunderstorm. If it had been anyone else, she would have thought that to be an odd smell, but it was right for Fred. The smell of fresh rain, the smell of wet grass… she could even smell the spark of lightening and the crash of thunder. It was difficult to describe but it was intoxicating.

"Can you please let me go?" Hermione managed to gasp out.

"Maybe I like you right where you are," Fred said huskily, leaning down so his face was close to hers, "You're rather adorable when you're flushed."

Fred's cool breath fanned her face, his body curved over her as his lips slowly inched closer to hers. They were a whisper away and Hermione wanted nothing more than to close the slight distance and press her lips to his. Needed to know what it would feel like. His lips grazed hers gently, barely a caress…

"Hermione! Hurry up! Lunch is ready!"

At the sound of Ginny's voice, Hermione snapped back to reality and pushed herself out of Fred's arms, feeling slightly dazed. Fred's eyes were hooded, a hunger hidden in them that Hermione didn't understand. Tension lined his features, but he stepped around Hermione without a word, disappearing out of view. Hermione let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and slumped against the wall. Her hands shook and she took several deep, calming breaths before heading down the stairs to the kitchen. That was not what she expected to happen when she ran into Fred again. There was no way he was interested in her at all. She was the bookworm, know-it-all Granger and he was Fred Weasley, prankster extraordinaire. This was going to be a long two months.

_1st September 1998; King's Cross Station; Platform 9 and ¾._

Today was the day that Hermione was finally going back to Hogwarts. She couldn't have been more excited. Since the incident in the hallway with Fred, he had been relentless. He did everything he could to catch her off guard and make her flustered. What she had first mistaken for her heart pounding, she soon realized that it was her tattoo pulsing against her flesh. It reacted every time Fred was close to her and most of the time she was able to avoid him. Once she was out of his reach, however, she found that she felt both happy and disappointed at the same time. She was on the platform with Ginny, Molly, Arthur, Ron and Harry. They were given a few days off to say goodbye, which Ginny had been ecstatic for. They had already said their goodbyes and were about to board the train when Hermione's tattoo fluttered and a hand grabbed her wrist.

"You didn't even say goodbye!"

Hermione shivered at the feel of his hand on her skin and turned to face Fred, who had stuck out his bottom lip in a pout. "Well you were the one who didn't wake up in time," she replied haughtily.

"I'm here now, though," he said quietly.

She then realized how close Fred was to her. She could see the flecks of brown and gold in his eyes, the sadness that swam in them. Her tattoo pulsed almost painfully and she pulled her wrist from his grip, feeling the hollowness that she now associated with his absence. He took a step back, but Hermione remained half way on the train, one foot still planted firmly on the platform.

"I'll miss you," and she was surprised to find that she meant it.

"Don't worry, love," he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek, "I'll write."

And then he was gone, weaving his way between the families saying goodbye to their children. Hermione stared after him longingly, her hand unconsciously touching her cheek where his lips had pressed against it. The sound of the train whistle drew Hermione out of her thoughts and she shook her head, climbing fully into the train. It didn't take her long to find Ginny in a compartment with Neville and Luna. Neville had Luna's hand clasped tightly in his and grinned at Hermione when she walked in.

"I knew you couldn't pass up an opportunity to finish your 7th year!" he declared.

"Hermione would never say no to studying," Luna agreed dreamily.

"I just wanted time away from Harry and Ron!" Hermione joked, laughing.

She sat down next to Ginny and for the time being, she was able to push Fred to the back of her mind. She enjoyed the train ride to Hogwarts with her friends. It was odd without Harry and Ron sitting across from her, but it was nice to not have them hovering over her. Time seemed to fly by and before she knew it, they had all changed into their robes and were pulling into the Hogsmade station. As they walked off the train, she noticed that many of the older students were staring at the carriages and for a split second she wondered why. Then she remembered. The Thestrals could only be seen by those who had seen death… and the sheer number of students who could now see them was staggering. Ginny took her hand and squeezed it gently before leading them to one of the carriages. They rode towards Hogwarts in silence, the battle fresh in their minds as they passed by the scorched earth. Hermione wondered how the castle looked, hopefully fully repaired if they were resuming school as normal. No sooner had she thought of it, the castle came into view, seemingly unharmed, as if the battle had never happened.

"It looks the same," Ginny whispered.

"They must have worked hard to repair it," Neville said, twisting in his seat to look at it.

Hermione was glad that it looked the same. She didn't know if she would be able to handle it if the castle still looked like a battle had taken place there. They reached the gates and the carriage stopped at the steps to the entrance hall. Light spilled out from the open doors that the students were walking through. It was easy to tell who had participated in the battle. They had a somber look to their faces, jaws clenched tight as they kept their eyes straight ahead. Hermione knew that this year was going to be difficult because even though the castle was fixed, the traces of battle erased, she could still remember. She could still see Hagrid walking through the gates, Harry in his arms, limp and pale. She could still see the broken statues, the bodies that littered the ground. Hermione wrapped her arms around herself to keep from shaking as they walked into the Great Hall. There were no Hogwarts emblems and house colors, only black tapestries fell from the enchanted ceiling. Neville gave Luna a chaste kiss before they went their separate ways. The stream of students entering the hall slowly stopped and Hermione was surprised to see how empty the hall seemed. When the sorting started, there was only a handful of students. Slytherin acquired two, one for Hufflepuff, three for Ravenclaw, and another two for Gryffindor.

"I bet a lot of parents were too scared to let their kids come back to school," Neville said, "Didn't want to let them out of their sight after the war."

"Or they didn't make it," Hermione said sadly.

A hush fell across the hall as McGonagall stood, "Welcome students, to another year at Hogwarts. I know the last few years have been difficult, especially the beginning of this year. We have lost a great number of students. Since the number of students is significantly smaller this year, all houses will attend classes at the same time. There will be no more classes of just one or two houses. You will have class with all of the students of your year. This is also to promote inter-house unity. There will be various projects throughout the year where you will work with three students in the other houses. There will also be a ball before the Christmas Holidays to remember those who have fallen during Voldemort's rise to power and defeat. I would also ask that all 7th years, both repeat and regular 7th years, meet me at the Head Table after dinner. Now enjoy the feast!"

As soon as McGonagall sat down, food filled the plates on the table and the dull roar of voices filled the hall. It was comforting, in a way, to have some sort of normalcy after everything that Hermione had been through in the last year. She listened as her friends talked and joked throughout dinner, but her mind was elsewhere. She thought of Fred and the way he would look at her. As if he needed her desperately. No one had ever looked at her like that and she didn't believe that Fred Weasley would be the first person to. She picked at her food, her mind too busy coming up with some other explanation as to why she had taken a sudden interest in Fred. She had been so lost in her thoughts, that she didn't realize that the food had disappeared from their plates and that everyone was walking out of the hall.

"Come on, Mione," Ginny said, "We have to go see McGonagall."

"Right," Hermione stood from her seat and followed Ginny to the head table where the rest of the 7th years were waiting.

McGonagall waited for Ginny and Hermione to join them before surveying the group before her, "As you can see, there aren't many 7th years returning to Hogwarts this year. The other teachers and I wanted to try something different this year since most of you are either of age, or participated in the Final Battle. Follow me."

The Headmistress swept past the small group of students and they all filed out behind her, whispering their theories. McGonagall lead them to a mostly unused part of the castle. She stopped in front of a portrait of a young couple holding hands. They both had dark hair, bright eyes, and they were smiling at the Headmistress. She smiled back at them and their portrait swung open to reveal a cozy common room. Hermione followed McGonagall into the spacious room and as she walked past the portrait hole, she felt her whole body pulse with turquoise light. Once inside the common room, she turned around to see a light purple glow flash around Ginny before disappearing. Ginny looked at her best friend, confused, but Hermione could only shrug her shoulders. She didn't know what had happened either. Once everyone was inside the common room, the portrait swung shut and McGonagall faced the students.

"This was once the wing that was used for the students who were married," McGonagall started.

"Married?!" Ginny squeaked.

"Yes, Miss. Weasley," McGonagall's eyes flashed, "When the school first opened and for quite some time afterwards, it was normal for marriages to occur while the husband and wife were still in school. While there is a common room and rather large kitchen here, you will find that behind each door upstairs is the equivalent to a three bedroom flat. You will all be staying here this year. Pick your rooms as you see fit, but know that I have made alterations to the rooms and members of the opposite sex are not allowed in each other's flat overnight. We are trying to promote inter-house unity so if this goes well then we will start introducing this kind of living environment to 5th years and up. Also, you will be allowed to visit Hogsmade whenever you wish and not just on Hogsmade weekends. Have a goodnight!"

McGonagall turned to leave, but Hermione stopped her, "But what about the password Professor?"

"There is no need for a password. The Portrait has memorized all of your magical signatures. If you wish to invite someone else into the common room, you need only ask and they will permit them to enter," McGonagall explained.

"And what about our things?" Neville asked.

"They will turn up once you have your room picked out," McGonagall opened the portrait, but turned around once more, "Also, you will be able to decorate your room however you wish. Just imagine it in your mind and the room will decorate itself."

Once McGonagall was out of the room and the Portrait shut behind her, everyone raced towards the stairs to pick their rooms. Hermione, Ginny and Luna picked one of the doors that was the furthest away from the stairs and the doors that everyone else picked. When Hermione opened the door, she found a bare living room with an attached dining room and a nicely sized kitchen tucked into the corner. She supposed that they would have to talk about what they would want the living room to look like. There was a hallway that led to the three bedrooms. Hermione took the one on the left, Ginny took the one in the middle and Luna took the one on the right. All of them were bare with two doors. One led to a closet and the other led to a bathroom. Ginny stuck her head into Hermione's room and looked around.

"This is kind of awesome," she said.

"I didn't even know this kind of place existed in the castle," Hermione murmured.

"Neither did I!" Ginny grinned, "What are you going to do with your room?"

Hermione thought for a moment, "I haven't decided and I'm tired. I'll just stick with a bed for now and then tomorrow before breakfast we can start brainstorming the living room!"

"Okay, I'll let Luna know. Goodnight, Mione!" Ginny blew Hermione a kiss before returning to her own room.

It didn't take long for Hermione to think of the bed she wanted. A queen size four poster bed sat in the middle of the room when Hermione opened her eyes. The sheets were cream, along with the pillowcases, while the down comforter was the same turquoise color as her magic. It was like looking at the ocean and she instantly loved it. A few seconds later, her trunk appeared at the foot of her bed and when Hermione opened her closet, all of her clothes were hanging up. She quickly changed into her PJs and climbed under the comforter, sighing in absolute bliss. She would worry about the rest of her room tomorrow after classes; tonight all she wanted to do was sleep and try to forget about a certain red haired Weasley twin.

_{ phoenix }_

**Tune in next time for the first Hogsmade trip and Hermione's surprise! Please leave me a review and let me know what you think! Reviews motivate me to write faster!**


	3. Is a surprise!

**Author's Note:** Once again, thank you for all of the favorites and follows! A huge thank you to those that did review! I really appreciate it! I am so sorry about the time between updates! My dogs decided to get to my laptop cord and completely destroy it and I haven't been able to purchase a new one until recently! Since I now have a working cord, I will try my best to update sooner!

**Disclaimer:** Sadly, I do not own Harry Potter.

**This**

**Is a surprise!**

_3__rd__ October 1998; Hogwarts; 7__th__ Year Dorm._

Ginny Weasley was many things. She was loud, impulsive, hotheaded, smart and loyal, but one of the things she had the most pride in were her skills of observation. Being the youngest and only girl in such a large family, she learned quickly to observe a situation first before throwing herself into it. She was currently sitting in their little living room, watching Hermione. The older witch hadn't been the same since the Battle of Hogwarts. Ginny knew most of it was from the nightmares and the stress, but she also knew that Hermione had been watching her brother, Fred, much more closely than usual. She had avoided him at all costs during the summer and if they did happen to be in the same room, her cheeks would color and she would stare at her shoes. Fred, on the other hand, gazed openly at Hermione, his expression longing. She had caught their brief exchange at the train station and began devising a plan for Christmas break. Looking down at the letter clasped in her hands, Ginny knew her plan would be able to go into effect much sooner. Hermione hadn't turned a page in her book for at least twenty minutes and Ginny knew her best friend was distracted, hopefully by thoughts of her brother. Spurred into action, Ginny folded the letter she had received from Fred and tucked it into her robes before standing. She walked across the room towards Hermione and flung herself dramatically across Hermione's lap.

"Ginny!"

The red head looked up at Hermione, her eyes filled with mischief, "I have a surprise for you!"

"Not now, Gin, I'm trying to study," Hermione huffed.

"Pleeeease, 'Mione!" Ginny pleaded, "I've been setting it up for _ages!_"

While that wasn't entirely true, Ginny fixed a pout on her lips and could see Hermione's defenses crumbling. Ginny knew that her curiosity would get the better of her and she would give up on studying just to sate it. Hermione chewed her bottom lip in thought for a few moments before sighing in defeat. She set her book down on the coffee table and Ginny whooped in victory. She jumped to her feet and pulled her best friend up with her, pulling her out of their little flat and down to the common room. Hermione laughed at Ginny's eager expression and let her pull her downstairs.

"And where exactly are we going?" Hermione asked.

"Hogsmade! But that's all you get to know! The rest is a surprise!" Ginny said as they walked out of the portrait hole and towards the front hall.

School had only been in session for a month, but Hermione already had her studying schedule made up for N.E.W.T.s. Thankfully, weekends were much more lenient on her schedule than weekdays, otherwise Ginny didn't think she would ever be able to get Hermione out of that dormitory. They walked across the grounds, Ginny's arm looped through Hermione's, and they talked about the changes in the school. Hermione had been upset that she didn't receive Head Girl at first, but she was glad that she had more time to study. None of the returning students were given any sort of responsibilities outside of school work. They were basically allowed to do anything they wanted and Ginny was rather jealous, though she was glad that she was able to go to Hogsmade whenever she wanted. She had already planned quite a few weekend dates with Harry once his training slowed down after Christmas. Once they were close enough to Hogsmade, Ginny pulled Hermione to a stop and stood in front of her, bouncing excitedly on the balls of her feet.

"What?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow in question.

"I'm going to blindfold you! You're not allowed to peek!" Ginny said as she pulled out a strip of fabric.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Honestly, Gin, is this necessary?"

"Yes!" Ginny crowed, tying the fabric around Hermione's head, "If I don't blindfold you then the surprise will be ruined once we get close enough!"

Hermione could only laugh at her best friend's antics. She was so glad that she had Ginny to distract her from her thoughts. She had been thinking of Fred before Ginny had jumped on her. He had said he would write but she hadn't heard anything from him in the last month. True, they weren't dating and she had no reason to be angry with him other than the fact that she desperately wanted to hear from him. Had he changed his mind about writing her? Was he only interested in her because of her proximity? Dark thoughts had been clouding Hermione's mind and her chest ached painfully more often than not. She had been lost in her own thoughts and hadn't realized that Ginny had stopped until she pulled the blindfold from Hermione's eyes. Hermione blinked at the sudden brightness and took in her surroundings.

"Gin… what are we doing in Diagon Alley?" she asked slowly.

"You're not in Diagon Alley, love!"

Hermione froze at the voice she heard behind her and turned slowly. Fred Weasley stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame, his arms crossed over his chest, and a goofy smile on his lips. Unable to contain herself, Hermione let out a squeal and launched herself into Fred's arms. As soon as his arms wound around her waist and she inhaled his thunderstorm scent, the ache in her chest eased and her tattoo warmed against her skin. His chest vibrated when he laughed and Hermione pulled away reluctantly, moving closer to Ginny, her cheeks heating.

"Hermione Granger missed me," Fred sung, grinning broadly.

Hermione scowled, her lips pulling into a frown, "You didn't write! It's been a month!"

"Sorry, love, it's been a really busy last month," Fred's smile dropped and Hermione could see just how tired he was.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Ginny asked.

Fred moved over to the counter and pulled himself up onto the edge, "Zonko's couldn't open back up after the battle. Hogsmade had an opening. George and I had already talked about opening up a new shop so we applied for the building. It's been in the works for the last three months and we've been setting up the shop since last week. Grand opening is next weekend."

"First Hogsmade weekend," Hermione hummed in thought, "Nice timing."

That goofy grin returned to Fred's face, "We planned it that way."

"Is George going to stay in Diagon Alley?" Ginny questioned, sitting at the chair behind the counter.

"Yep," Fred nodded, "It's going to be tough, but we'll have a few new workers at this location and once everything starts running smoothly, I'll be going back to Diagon Alley as well."

"How long will that take?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Who knows? Maybe a few weeks or maybe the whole school year. It depends on who we decide to take over this location," Fred shrugged.

Hermione hoped that it would take the whole school year. She'd like to have an excuse to see Fred whenever she wanted to. They talked for a little bit longer and helped Fred unpack some boxes before heading back up to the castle for dinner. Fred hugged each of them goodbye and Hermione lingered when Ginny walked out of the door. She wasn't sure why, but she didn't want to leave Fred just yet. She stood at the door hesitantly, watching as he moved some more boxes, the muscles in his arm bunching. He set the last box on top of the others and turned to face Hermione.

"I'm really sorry I didn't write, Hermione," he said softly.

Hermione smiled slightly, "Don't worry about it, you've been busy. Besides, I'm no one special, you don't have to write to me. Have a good night, Fred."

Without waiting to hear his reply, Hermione hurried out of the door after Ginny. She half hoped he wouldn't follow her and was slightly relieved when he didn't. She wanted him to contradict her, to tell her that she was special, but she doubted she would get that from one of the Weasley Twins. It wasn't that Fred was a bad person, because he wasn't. He was kind, intelligent, thoughtful, funny, and helpful… but he was also way out of her league. He was popular and everyone loved him. Hermione had a few close friends but everyone else just saw her as an annoying know-it-all. She walked in silence for a little while, lost in her thoughts, before Ginny grew impatient and nudged her.

"Hmm?"

"Well what did you think of my surprise?!" Ginny burst out.

"How did you know I would want to see him?" Hermione asked thoughtfully.

"Oh come on, 'Mione. I'm not stupid. I saw how you were acting around him," Ginny rolled her eyes, "It's so obvious that you like him!"

A bright blush tinted Hermione's cheeks and she focused on her shoes, "I've always had a crush on him. Since first year… but after the battle it's like I'm drawn to him."

"Do you think it has anything to do with your tattoo? Or how your magic pushed itself out of your body?" Ginny mused, "I mean, the tattoo did show up after Fred almost died."

Hermione stared at Ginny, her eyebrows furrowed, "You mean like some sort of bond? How would that even happen?"

"I don't know," Ginny shrugged and pushed open the doors to the entrance hall, "I guess we'll just have to start looking."

Dinner was a quiet affair, Hermione didn't notice what she was eating, she was too lost in her thoughts. If it was a bond, had it always been there, dormant? Was there some sort of spell that activated it or did it show up on its own? Tomorrow was Sunday and Hermione was sure she could find some time to go to the library and start researching bonds. She would have to find time; not knowing about it was driving her insane. She would have to talk to McGonagall about getting into the restricted section. She was sure the Headmistress wouldn't mind if Hermione did some poking around. If she did mind, well then Hermione would have to ask Harry to borrow his invisibility cloak and get to those books anyway. After dinner, Ginny went to the Owlery to send a letter to Harry and Hermione made her way back to their dormitory. She stood in front of the portrait for a few minutes, watching the way the couple in the picture interacted with each other before she smiled at them and the portrait swung open. She hardly noticed the flare in her magic when she walked through the portrait hole now, but she did notice that everyone in the dormitory had a distinct color to their magic.

"Hey, Hermione! Where were you all day?"

Blinking, Hermione looked up at who spoke to her and was surprised to see Theodore Nott standing in front of her, "Oh! Theo! You startled me."

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, "It's just… we were supposed to study today and I couldn't find you."

"Oh, Theo! I'm so sorry! I completely forgot! Ginny dragged me to Hogsmade this afternoon," Hermione said quickly.

"That's okay. Can we re-schedule for tomorrow?" he asked.

"Of course! I'll meet you down here right after lunch!" Hermione declared.

"Sounds good. I'll see you tomorrow!"

Hermione nodded absently and watched as Theo walked up the stairs towards his in-dormitory flat. He was rooming with Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini. They were the only three 7th year Slytherins to return to Hogwarts. While Blaise was a neutral party during the War, it was very clear that Draco had been on the Dark Lord's side. The Trio had vouched for him and his mother at their trial. Lucius was thrown into Azkaban, while both Draco and his mother were under house arrest during the summer. Narcissa Malfoy has to do some sort of community service and Draco had to complete his 7th year at Hogwarts. Hermione had been paired with Theo in potions and she found him to actually be rather pleasant. He was almost as good at Potions as she was and he was easy to talk to. Much easier to talk to than Fred, but then again she also didn't want Theo to kiss her. She stopped her train of thought abruptly and made her way upstairs. Once in her room, Hermione was surprised to find a beautiful barn owl sitting on her windowsill. She dug in one of her drawers for treats and gave a few to the owl after taking the parchment that was tied to his leg.

_My dearest Hermione,_

_It is with my deepest apologies that I didn't write to you sooner. I had intended on writing you just after the grand opening of the new shop in Hogsmade, but since my dear little sister decided to drag you to Hogsmade, it is only fair that I ask you to accompany me to dinner this Thursday night as a way to make up for it. I'll meet you outside the castle gates at precisely 6:30. Do wear something nice._

_Yours,_

_F.W._

The letter was so formal and Hermione nearly burst out laughing. It didn't sound anything like Fred, but she had recognized his owl. Perhaps he was being funny. She was about to write a response, when she noticed that his owl had left while she was reading the letter. Of course, Fred would give her no choice but to accept his offer. Rolling her eyes, Hermione placed the parchment on her night stand and went to see if Ginny was back from the Owlery. She knocked on Ginny's bedroom door and heard her muffled 'come in'. She slowly pushed open the door, a grin on her face.

"What's got you so excited?" Ginny asked, raising an eyebrow.

Hermione fell backwards onto Ginny's bed, "Your brother asked me out on a date."

"He did what?!" Ginny squealed, scrambling closer towards her best friend.

"Fred asked me out on a date," Hermione enunciated, "Well, he didn't really ask. He told me I was going on a date with him. I have no choice in the matter."

"Well Fred was never one for subtlety and when he wants something he goes for it," Ginny shrugged, "So are you going to go?"

Hermione chewed her bottom lip in thought for a moment before she answered Ginny, "I don't know. I want to, but I'm terrified, Gin. I haven't been able to stop thinking about him for the last five months and it happened so suddenly. What if the way we feel for each other isn't real? What if something happened during the battle?"

Ginny leaned over Hermione and frowned at her, "You really don't know, do you?"

"Know what?" Hermione furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"How Fred feels about you. I've seen him staring at you from across the room since my first year," Ginny said matter-o-factly, "He just always figured you were into Ron."

"I thought I was, too," Hermione muttered, "But then it happened and it just felt… wrong."

"So then give Fred a chance. I'm sure he'll surprise you," Ginny said gently, "He's a good guy. I've always liked the twins best."

"I suppose I will, thanks, Gin," Hermione smiled at the youngest Weasley and left the room.

She decided she would go to the Owlery and give Fred a reply, even though he hadn't asked for one. She wanted to talk to him more, find out more about him. While she had attended five years of school with him and spent many a summer at his house, she realized she hardly knew anything about him. She went to her room first to grab some parchment, owl treats and a quill before heading to the Owlery. Once there, she sat on the steps to write out her letter.

_Fred,_

_I'm so glad that you gave me an option about this date you wish to take me on. You're lucky that I've decided to join you. Will we be having a lovely dinner at The Three Broomsticks? While McGonagall gave us permission to go to Hogsmade whenever we wanted, we aren't allowed to leave school grounds. I'll expect something surprising since it will be coming from you. I would also prefer to meet at six on Tuesday, instead. Thursday's are much busier for me than Tuesday's. I'll see you then!_

_H.G._

She had re-written the letter a few times before it sounded the way she wanted it to. She didn't want to seem too invested in this date because she was afraid of getting hurt. Other than Krum and Ronald, no one had ever shown romantic interest in her. She had never done anything more than kissing and she knew Fred was much more experienced. Folding the letter neatly, Hermione walked into the Owlery and called down her owl. She was a gorgeous black and white Eagle Owl that Harry had gotten for her once she had informed them she was returning to Hogwarts without them. Athena was her name and Hermione absolutely adored her. Athena flew down to Hermione and landed on her shoulder, hooting affectionately. Hermione tied the letter to Athena's leg and stroked her wings gently before feeding her some of the treats.

"Please take this to Fred," Hermione whispered and watched as Athena flew gracefully through one of the windows.

Hermione wasn't sure if Fred would reply tonight or even at all, so she made her way back to her dormitory. She once again passed through the magical barrier and up the stairs. Once in her room, Hermione braided her hair to keep it somewhat tamed in the morning and changed into a pair of pajamas. Once she was changed, she climbed into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. Her mind was racing with thoughts of her impending date with Fred Weasley and she found herself oddly excited and extremely nervous. How did a wizard like him end up wanting to date someone like her? She couldn't really wrap her mind around it, but soon enough, her body's exhaustion won over her curious mind and she quickly fell asleep.

_{ phoenix }_

**Thank you all for the lovely reviews, follows and favorites! Again, I am terribly sorry it took so long to update this story and hopefully I'll get plenty of reviews for this chapter (hint hint) so I'll update as soon as I can!**


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